UP SIT to submit report on Ayodhya Ram temple donation row tomorrow
More than a month after the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram
More than a month after the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the three-member panel is expected to submit its final report to the state government on Wednesday. The report is likely to be submitted to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad as the extended 15-day deadline granted to the SIT ends on July 15. However, it remains to be seen whether the panel seeks more time to complete certain aspects of the investigation. Read Full Story Sources said the final report is being prepared after examining financial records, banking transactions, CCTV footage, electronic evidence, documentary material and statements of witnesses and the accused.
Sources added that the report is expected to go beyond identifying those directly involved in the alleged theft and examining the chain of accountability that allowed the alleged embezzlement to continue undetected. The SIT is likely to fix responsibility for supervisory and administrative lapses and recommend sweeping reforms in the temple's donation collection, monitoring and auditing mechanisms. Investigators are expected to assess accountability at every stage of the donation management process, including the custody and transportation of donation boxes, cash counting, banking, surveillance and audits. The probe has focused on whether standard operating procedures were followed and whether failures in supervision, documentation, access control, record-keeping and internal checks created opportunities for the alleged diversion of devotees' offerings.
I-T DEPT TO TRACE MONEY TRAIL Meanwhile, Ayodhya Police has sought the assistance of the Income Tax Department to trace the alleged money trail, identify hidden assets and determine whether others benefited from the embezzled funds. Investigators are scrutinising nearly 50 bank accounts linked to the eight arrested accused and their family members, examining transactions dating back to 2022. The probe is focused on whether the accused routed the alleged stolen money through relatives' accounts, invested it in the stock market, purchased immovable properties or parked it in other financial instruments. Police have sought detailed bank statements, KYC records, nominee details and transaction histories to reconstruct the movement of funds. They are analysing cash deposits, large withdrawals, inter-account transfers and investments to identify disproportionate assets and unexplained transactions.
The BriefWire